Ramifications of the UK Supreme Court judgement in Uber Bv v Aslam and others. Article by Ravi PEIRIS, Senior Specialist, Employers' Activities.

The judgment of the Supreme Court of UK in the case of Uber Vs Aslam and others has been subject to much discussion and interpretations. It was therefore important to analyse the judgment from different standpoints – Independent Contractors / Own Account Workers; Common law of Master – Servant relationship; and implications on Platform workers. This judgment is a reflection of the willingness of the Court to take account of developments relative to new ways of doing business, instead of being restricted by concepts, which were developed at a time when ways of doing business were simpler and limited. Technology and other factors such as increased emphasis on entrepreneurial innovation have led to more complex and new ways of doing business. The law needs to keep pace with social and other developments to be relevant, socially and otherwise, and this objective can be achieved through legislation or judicial means, or by a combination of both. This case illustrates the combination of both legislative and judicial intervention to bring the law more abreast of social and business realities. This article was published in the Madras Labour Law Journal.